Home   News   Article

Programme for Government 'strong plan for recovery', says Adam


By Alan Beresford

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

THE Scottish Government's newly released Programme for Government has been hailed as a "strong plan for recovery" by a local MSP.

Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled the government’s programme for the next year to MSPs on September 7, saying that “a better Scotland – as part of a better world – is waiting to be built”.

The Programme for Government focussed on building a greener, fairer country for all individuals and families in Scotland, and offering the people of our country an informed choice on Scotland’s future.

This was backed by commitments to invest at least £1.8 billion to make Scotland’s homes and buildings more efficient and easier to heat, doubling the Scottish Child Payment as quickly as possible and restarting work on a detailed prospectus for an Independent Scotland.

The plan has been wlecomed by Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam MSP, who went on to condemn the UK government’s plans to hike taxes in Scotland to pay for health and social care in England.

She said: “The policy programme released...from the Scottish Government has clear commitments to deliver a better life for people across Moray and Aberdeenshire, particularly with the commitment to investing £500 million across the north-east region and Moray.

“It addresses the challenges that the last 18 months has left us with and it has the ambition needed to rebuild a better country as we recover.

“The recovery and remobilisation of our health services is undoubtably a top priority for people across Banffshire and Buchan Coast so the SNP Government’s commitment to a minimum of £2.5 billion more on frontline health spending will be particularly welcome news.

“...we have seen that we have an SNP government with the ambition needed to help build a better Scotland, and most of all, taking the action needed to make that ambition a reality. Compare that to the UK government who have recently announced plans to hike taxes in Scotland to pay for health and social care in England.

“The SNP Scottish Government’s prospectus will also offer the people of Scotland the choice we deserve over our future as we have a tale of two governments. A Scottish Government investing in Scotland’s future, while we have a UK government introducing a union tax on the people of Scotland. There’s a better future for Scotland to be built and I’ll do everything I can to help build it.”

However, Scottish Conservative Party leader and Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross branded the Programme for Government a failure on many front.

Scottish Tory leader and Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross. Picture: James Mackenzie
Scottish Tory leader and Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross. Picture: James Mackenzie

“Karen Adam’s priorities are completely wrong," he continued.

"Most people here in Moray will believe it is a disgraceful waste of time for civil servants to be building a new case for independence, when we should all be focusing on our recovery from Covid.

“It is clear that the SNP-Green Government, are as usual putting independence above everything else. The Programme for Government failed to outline a proper NHS recovery plan, a plan to support jobs or any sort of plan to tackle the disgraceful number of drug deaths in Scotland.

“Karen Adam appears to have failed to consult with her SNP colleagues in hitting out at what she terms a ‘Union tax’. Thanks to being part of the United Kingdom, her SNP government will now have over £1 billion extra to fund Scotland’s health and social care services.

“Perhaps that can finally be used to invest in a proper NHS recovery plan, rather than the flimsy pamphlet produced recently by the SNP Health Secretary.”


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More